BANGKOK, THAILAND – Thailand’s aviation regulator approved a sharp increase in a key passenger fee on international flights, set to take effect from 1 February 2026.
Passenger fee to rise by 66 percent
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) decided to raise the so‑called Passenger Service Charge for international flights. The fee was set to climb from 15 baht to 25 baht per person and per leg from February 2026, an increase of 66 percent.
Although the charge was formally paid by airlines, experts expected the additional costs to be passed on to travelers through higher ticket prices or adjusted fare structures.
Regulator cites years of operating deficits
CAAT director Air Chief Marshal Manat Chavanaprayoon justified the move with mounting financial pressure, noting that the fee had not been raised since 2015 while operating costs had risen.
“We have been operating with a deficit for a long time,”
said Manat, director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand.
He stated that the current 15‑baht fee was below actual costs, which already stood at 19.34 baht per passenger, and stressed that the agency was funded almost entirely by this levy and received no government subsidies.
Reserves under strain despite 1.4 billion baht cushion
The CAAT had to cover salaries for more than 500 employees, as well as rent and technology expenses, from the fee income. According to the director, the authority still held around 1.4 billion baht in reserves, but these funds were steadily shrinking.
With international passenger numbers reaching 72.42 million in 2024, each traveler cost the regulator more than it earned, forcing it to draw increasingly on its reserves to maintain operations.
Goal is cost coverage, not profit
Manat emphasized that the increase was not aimed at expansion or profit.
“The increase is only meant to enable us to cover our costs and maintain our service,”
said Manat, director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand.
He added that even the new 25‑baht rate would only cover expenditures for an estimated three to four years, with the authority expecting to break even around 2028, and said that a further rise was not currently planned.
Impact on holidaymakers and business travelers
For a typical round trip, the hidden fees per person were set to rise from 30 baht to 50 baht, included in the ticket price and not shown separately. For a family of four, the surcharge would amount to roughly the equivalent of 2 euros per journey.
Travel specialists anticipated that airlines would fully pass on the higher charge to passengers, either through direct ticket price increases or broader fare adjustments.
Funding oversight and safety in Thai skies
The CAAT served as the main supervisor of Thailand’s aviation sector, ensuring compliance with national regulations and international safety standards. A financially stable regulator was portrayed as being in passengers’ own interest, underpinning the safe and reliable operation of airports and airlines in the country.
According to the official reasoning, the moderate increase was a necessary step to secure this oversight function and stabilize the authority’s finances over the coming years.